CHARLESTON, W.Va.
Students from three schools will perform mock trial scripts they wrote as part of West Virginia Law Adventure, the Supreme Court s program for middle school students, during the finale of this year s pilot project, beginning at 10 a.m. on Monday, March 30, 2009, in the Supreme Court Chamber.
One Supreme Court Justice will sit as the presiding trial judge in each case.
Students will perform according to the following approximate schedule:
10 a.m. Horace Mann Middle School, Kanawha County, Senior Status Justice Thomas McHugh presiding.
10:30 a.m. Stonewall Jackson Middle School, Kanawha County, Justice Menis Ketchum presiding.
11 a.m. Western Greenbrier Middle School, Kanawha County, Justice Robin Jean Davis presiding.
Following the mock trials, the students will eat lunch in the Great Hall of the Cultural Center. The West Virginia Bar Foundation granted funds for the costs associated with the West Virginia Law Adventure.
Unlike other mock trial programs in which students perform cases using scripts or materials prepared by adults, the West Virginia Law Adventure requires each class to write its own script based on one of three criminal case scenarios. The West Virginia State Bar Foundation and the Young Lawyers Section of the State Bar helped write the rules for the program.
Students from Kanawha, Mason, Greenbrier, Monongalia, and Mineral Counties were invited to participate in this year s second phase of the pilot project.
Although other schools used the rules packet to work on mock trials in their classrooms, only three schools submitted scripts meeting the rule guidelines.
Kandi Greter, the Court s Public Education Coordinator, said, Several teachers expressed interest in the new Law Adventure Program. We are taking feedback from participating schools to adjust and expand from five to ten counties in 2009. We are impressed with the students hard work and look forward to having them present their cases before the Justices on Monday.
The West Virginia program is adapted with permission from the New Jersey State Bar Foundation s original, award-winning Law Adventure Competition and Programs for grades seven and eight. For more information about the New Jersey State Bar Foundation, visit www.njsbf.org.